MAN PLEADS NO CONTEST TO SEX CHARGES

A former youth pastor at a Pompano Beach church, who says he was abused as a child, pleaded no contest on Wednesday to fondling an 8-year-old boy he met at the Pompano Square mall in July.

James Joseph Gould, 39, faced a potential life prison sentence but won't spend a day in prison under terms of his plea bargain.

He was sentenced to two years of home confinement and eight years probation. Broward Circuit Judge Susan Lebow also ordered him not to have any contact with children under 16 without an adult present.

Gould was employed as a youth pastor at the Calvary Chapel but now works as an administrator at Calvary, a nondenominational Christian church in Pompano Beach.

Lebow also ordered Gould to undergo psychological treatment for sex offenders and to provide up to $5,000 to pay for any psychological treatment his young victim may require.

In addition, in an effort to further protect the victim from any future contact with Gould, Lebow ordered that a photograph of Gould be sent to officials at the school attended by the 8-year-old.

Prosecutors agreed to drop a kidnapping charge - with a potential life prison sentence - in exchange for the no contest plea to false imprisonment and indecent assault on a child under 13.

They also agreed to withhold ajudication, which means that if Gould satisfies the terms of his probation with no problem he will emerge without a criminal record.

Assistant State Attorney Stanley Peacock said he and the boy's parents agreed to the plea bargain in part to avoid forcing the boy to recount sexual abuse allegations on the witness stand at Gould's trial.

"This is the kind of rock and a hard place decision that a prosecutor has to make in these kinds of cases," Peacock said.

"The child is in school and has had some adjustment problems to this issue," the prosecutor said.

Peacock said there was no indication of prior abuse of children by Gould.

He said, "The defendant himself admitted that he was [sexually) abused as a child."

Gould's lawyer, John Contini, of Fort Lauderdale, said the plea bargain recognizes the cyclical nature of pedophilia. He said children who are sexually abused by adults often repeat the behavior with children when they become adults, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of abuse.

"Everybody feels bad about the child victim, as they should. But when that child grows up and touches another child everyone wants to fry him or send him to prison for a long time," Contini said. "Where is the empathy for the little boy - inside the man - who was abused?"

He said it took "courage and enlightenment" by Peacock and the State Attorney's Office to negotiate the plea bargain.

"This breaks the cycle. Now the new victim will get the help he's going to need, while James is finally getting the help he needs after 30 years," Contini said.

According to Peacock and police accounts, Gould met the 8-year-old on July 27 as the boy walked alone toward the mall. Gould took the boy to a restaurant for breakfast. They then went to Gould's house in Lighthouse Point where the boy was fondled while in the shower.

Gould drove the boy back to the mall, gave him $21 and his beeper number.

Police used the beeper number and the boy to lure Gould back to the mall where undercover officers arrested him.

When arrested, police said that Gould was carrying a 9mm pistol, for which he had a concealed weapons permit.

As part of the plea agreement, Gould forfeited his gun and his permit.

"James put all his faith and trust in Jesus Christ, not me, and that made all the difference," Contini said. He said the plea agreement "has God's signature all over it."

Contini said his client will be closely monitored.

"If he drops the ball and fails to attend his counseling, leaves his house and goes to a movie or does anything he shouldn't do then he will go to prison for a very long time," Contini said.